Other World Computing announced today its OWC Aura Pro, the industry’s only high-performance Solid State Drive upgrade for all 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina display (rMBP) computers, is now available in a 240GB capacity that offers up to 2x the capacity of the factory base SSD found in the 13″ rMBP model.

A Better Upgrade Value Than Factory Option

The 13″ rMBP comes standard with a 128GB SSD and it costs $300 to upgrade at the factory to a 256GB SSD. However, when upgrading directly with the factory, consumers have paid for that base 128GB module, but do not get that original base flash module returned to them for re-use.

The OWC Aura Pro SSD and Envoy Pro enclosure bundle comes complete with installation tools, installation video, and offers comparable cost and capacity — $319.99 and 240GB (256GB SSD before 7% over-provisioning) — to the factory 256GB upgrade option, but with the added value of being able to use the factory base SSD module as an external storage device via the Envoy Pro.

Complements Apple’s Best Designs

The OWC Envoy Pro combines elegance and functionality into a sleek, yet rugged portable storage solution that complements the design and finish of the rMBP. It’s so impressive in form and function that it inspired Jim Tanous of The Mac Observer to proclaim it “absolutely beautiful and on par with the best that has come out of Jony Ive’s (SVP of Industrial Design at Apple) labs.” While the aluminum body is protecting the drive’s data, the Envoy Pro’s minimal size allows for simple stowing in coat pockets, backpacks or briefcases. A USB 3.0/2.0 interface offers speedy transfer rates of up to 500MB/s and because the Envoy Pro is bus-powered, it doesn’t require the “leash” of an AC power adapter.

Joins Existing 480GB Model Offering Huge Savings

The new 240GB Aura Pro SSD joins the previously announced 480GB (512GB before 7% over-provisioning) Aura Pro offered at $579.99 or as a bundle with Envoy Pro for $629.99. The 480GB Aura Pro offers a $220 savings over the comparable sized 512GB factory capacity upgrade costing $800 in the base 13″ rMBP.

Expert Tested and Reviewed

Several leading technology sites have noted the Aura Pro’s performance advantage compared to the Apple factory SSDs. Electronista.com pointed out “new and improved” Apple SSDs reach read speeds of 461MB per second and write speeds of 364MB per second, while the Aura Pro is rated at up to 500MB/s. Expert SSD industry source TheSSDReview.com found LSI SandForce Driven™ based SSDs offer “excellent performance” over 500MB/s and that these SSDs “excel in highly compressible data testing which is the bread and butter of typical consumer use.” The Mac Observerperformed extensive benchmark testing and declared “The Aura Pro SSD outperforms the Apple SSD in nearly every way. For rMBP owners (or soon-to-be-owners) who ordered a model with the stock SSD, the upgrade to the Aura Pro is a no brainer if you need more capacity, speed, or both.”

“We’re very excited to expand our capacity and performance increasing SSD internal upgrades for these leading-edge Apple machines,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “It’s a total package solution that delivers the exceptionally high-value benefit of continued use of the factory SSD via a beautiful, compact, and rugged high-performance portable storage solution.”

Any news on higher capacity options? I have the “768” from Apple, and would love the benefit of your faster SSD, but don’t want to take a step backwards in capacity. Any thing approaching the 1TB mark on the horizon?

Also, what did you mean by “The current Apple 750GB is kind of a FrakenSSD fwiw”. Just in terms of the design necessary to stuff that much capacity given the current component options?

Macs last a long time.Don't plunk down your hard earned money on a new Mac when an upgraded Mac can run faster than a new Mac. We have the best upgrades and support for Macs:OWC MemoryThe easiest and most cost effective way to get the most from your Mac. Open and create more at one time with less slowdowns.OWC SSDsSSDs are up the 91 times faster than a hard drive. Unleash the true potential of you Mac by upgrading to an OWC SSD. OWC Install Videos guide you step-by-step so you can experience the blazing performance difference an OWC SSD offers.OWC External DrivesEasily expand your storage with durable external drives from OWC. From bus-powered portables to massive capacity desktop models, our external drives are time-tested and industry trusted to provide you great reliable storage whatever your needs may be.OWC Optical DrivesWho says the optical drive is dead? Optical storage offers a great way to archive data long term, and Blu-ray media offers a tremendous amount of storage in a single disc. Watch Blu-ray movies to experience near studio master image quality.Got questions? OWC can help.Our award-winning U.S. based customer service is at the ready to help you with any upgrade questions you may have. We're available online and on the phone 24/7. Say hello today and find out what your Mac can do.